In 2024, there was a record high number of people applied for asylum, when there was a total of 18,651. Photograph: Colin Keegan, Collins DublinA total of 13,160 people applied for asylum in Ireland in 2025, a decrease of 5,491 since the previous year. In 2024, there was a record high number of people applied for asylum, when there was a total of 18,651. There has been a drop of almost 70 per cent in applications from designated safe countries following the introduction of those accelerated procedures. Meanwhile, more than 1,600 asylum seekers voluntarily left Ireland last year, according to provisional figures from the Department of Justice.

Source: The Irish Times January 07, 2026 14:50 UTC